Printer Friendly Forum Posts - are t-taps or scotchlocks suitable ?

Are t-taps or scotchlock connectors suitable for hi current applications such as remote start? I have previously only spliced in these type of wires, but I am looking for an easier (and faster) way to make these connections because i am swamped with so many jobs lately. I've started using t-taps for other connections such as doorlocks, door triggers, parking lights, etc. But i'm kinda skeptical if i'll have problems using them for remote start.

where can i get these t-tap for cheap and not buy bulk?

Well most people on these forums will tell you that t-taps suck...reason being, they sometimes get loose and even fall off causing wires not to be tapped into anymore, which causes problems, anywhere from stuff not working to fires and big money damages...so I can be sure that 99% of the people here will tell you to solder all your connections, which is the best way...

However, since I'm assuming you're an installer like me with tons of jobs and no help, like being at a shop or something, you can tap into your wires the way I do mine...Lots of people will say it's not safe or a sucky way to do it, but I have done it this way for a while now and it's never failed me once...

I strip some of the insulation back on the target wire using my wire stripper/crimper tool (what a life saver)...I take my wire I'm gonna use to tap into the target wire and strip some insulation off the end...I then twist the end tight, I take my test probe, poke a hole in it through the stripped target wire, I pass the wire through the hole, and wrap it around 5-6 times very tightly and securely...Next I grab my 3m electrical tape (3m brand never dry rots and comes loose), and wrap that around the connection as tightly as possible, then, for added security and a neat touch, I take a plastic zip tie, and zip that down over the connection as tight as possible...See if that works for you, I usually give the wire a few hard tugs after it's done, and it never comes out...it works well for me and is much faster than anything else I've tried...Like I said, this is my way, other installers won't agree, but it's good and safe...everything else I connect, I use butt connectors, but for tapping into wires, I use that method described above...

As far as where you can buy T-Taps, I used to get mine from the local auto parts store for like $4 for 50 of em.

I'd say butt connectors have worked best for me, but I feel comfortable with the poke twist and tape way. T-taps is the last thing I'd use for an installation, they really suck.

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Hey CutDog504, do u happen to be located in New Orleans? Lemme know.

Whoa there now. High current stuff....solder is rock solid. I've learned from the experienced techs out there...From my experience, it does make sense to solder it in.

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Only 3 of 6 of the posts in that link solder. I don't see how that is much help here.

I am interested in this topic too as I plan on installing a Commando 870 pretty soon. Bought me a soldering iron, I just don't know how to solder yet. lol

Yeah padawan, I am in New Orleans, how the hell did you know that? And as for solder, I dont like it. I end up being too sloppy with it and burn myself and all...I honestly prefer crimp butt connectors. I dont use t-taps too often, but I do use them. I was just wondering if it was safe to use them in a remote start setup, thats all. Current wise, are they safe?? I'm not asking whats most reliable, what comes back, or whatever. I'm asking is it safe. By safe I mean, will the connections get hot, or perhaps even melt or catch on fire or anything like that. I've used the brown scotchlocks (the double peircing ones) many many times in alarm installations to grab a power source off of the main power wire for the ign switch. These connectors seem VERY reliable. I've done many unistalls in which these brown scotchlocks were used, and every time I have either cuth em off, or pry them open with pliers and a screwdriver. But now I'm wondering if these would be safe for much higher current applications. Has anyone ever used these for that??

I knew by your name, CutDog, sounds like an old Cash Money lyric, and 504 duh....:) That's where I am, on the Bestbank!

And, I'm tellin ya, my way of tapping into wires is perfectly fine, trust me.

Maybe we can open up a business down here, gimme an email.

To me it seems that as long as you wrap the wire really tight and use the method padawan described it would be fine for nearly all applications. It is almost as good as solder, solder just makes the connection much more permanent and solid. I need to learn to solder anyway for some other projects so I figure I might as well solder my first install.

If ya got the time then solder it, if you have to rush then wrap it tight and use zip ties on it.

Here are some past discussions on this that I just got done reading, might help you decide.

https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=832&KW=solder

https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=13566&KW=solder

t taps are no good for high current applications for the above reasons as well as current handling they are not designed for higher currents like remote start installs. If you use them there will be an increse in resistance on the wire and a higher heat will result in the wire sometimes this heat will melt the power harness for the remote start you are using. The poke, twist, and tape is a verry good way of making a connection,but if you had the time you should solder mostly.

Every remote start I have done in the past I have use butt connectors. I cut the wire I'm tapping into, and shove it into a butt connector along with the remote start wire. I then connect the other end to the other end of the wire I cut. This method has never failed me or had any come backs. I tug on it to make sure its secure, and in all my years of installing, only 3 ever came loose. But it held with the next connector I put on.
Lately, I've been doing more and more installs and began using t-taps for smaller guage wire tapping. Wires such as door triggers, parking lights, doorlock wires, trunk triggers, etc. I've found that these are pretty reliable, I install literally in half the time. But I've never tried using a t-tap in a high current applcation such as remote start for fears that it would have too much resistance and get hot or melt. I guess my fears are true then. I guess I'll continue my method, or even the poke and twist method padawan spoke of. Its just that working in this high heat and high humidity in New Orleans, I try to get done as fast as possible. That why I was wondering about the t-taps, thats all. I like to take shortcuts sometimes, but not if my shortcut will cause it to fail, or be unsafe, or even do so much as cause a short or a fire. I'd rather take the time to do it right and safely the first time around.

I've used T-tap on remote start in Texas power a/c blower motor. I have yet to see any melting. I wondered about it at first then I look at a 25 amp fuse and saw how small the wire was compared to the Ttap. The touble is they stink and big wires almost cutting them in half! I usually tape them up to make sure they dont pop open and groud out. I usually only have trouble on the little wires.
However I like the idea of the wire winding method. Sounds pretty solid with the exception of the tape drying out and exposing the wire(seen that here quite a bit with soldered connections) then blowing out fuses. Guess they used cheap tape.
I'm about to do another one and might try the wire method..

anyone that cannot use ttaps successfully still has room for more experience, go ahead, Ttap away, make sure you use only 3M and correspond the correct color to the size you need, too small connector will break the wire, to big will give intermitten problems

DO NOT solder on newer vehicles if you can avoid it, unless you plan on using a heat sink and shrink tubing with every single connection, if you choose to twist and tape(not a good idea) tie strap each connection as well.

In the past 8 years I have yet to see my Ttaps come loose.. once again, only 3M, the others do fall apart eventually on high current applications

my personal opinion, you are a FOOL if you dont solder and shrink wrap wires when dealing with ignition wires. If those wires come loose you run the risk of shorting out any of the onboard computers, starting a fire, even causing things like pysical damage to the vehicle (Ive seen certain cars blow transmissions due to a short in certain accessory wires) and last off,,,your car couls catch on Fire.

t taps are for clowns straight up always solder your connections so you wou wont be a clown

Finally, right on "JamesRH" & "swerks." THE TRUTH !

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like i said, lack in experience will suggest soldering....

HAHAHA "lack of experience"....Im a professional...and if you want to say that, your the Lazy Amature. NEVER TAKE SHORT CUTS WITH IGNITON WIRES

Doesn't matter, "poke and wrap" works like a charm and the 3M tape will never come off if you use a zip tie over it, been doing it forever.

I dont really think we need the name calling. If the method works and lasts does it really matter in the end?

excellent point about the small piece of metal inside a 25 amp fuse, or even a 30amp..

along with 12 years of installation experience and running my own business for 8 years, successfully, i also have a 2 year degree in electronics

a ttap is not used for high current, however, i want to see a remote start continuosly supply 25 or 30amps of current.. in high power car audio systems, yes, in remote start or alarms... NEVER..

any increase in resistance due to the supposed restriction of a connector, will be negligable... if you were to run your ignition wires on 16 or 18 ga for a great distance, then yes, you would have problems with wires heating up from increased stress when there is less resistance..

keep in mind, the thicker the wire the more resistance there is, however, in DC thicker wire allows current to flow more freely

exactly the opposite of AC

in fact, a connector, would lower the resistance value before it would increase it...... lower resistance equals increased current flow.. increased current flow means heat.. kind of like putting a wrench across battery terminals

either way, we all have our opinions, i used to solder, i used to twist and tape, i also did CODE ALARM type connections... all very time consuming without any benefit.. i spend about 60 to 75 minutes on alarms with remotes starters and have yet to see a car catch fire....

In fact, my single most expensive mistake , 7 years ago, cost me $114 when i burned a keyless entry module... followed by a $10 lock switch,, in twelve years, i think that is pretty good.

The Strip, poke a hole and wrap the wire around 5 times and then tape and then use cable ties method takes twice as lonf as it does to solder. I tried that method on this bulldog unit a friend of mine brought to me when I was first starting off installing and it was very tedious. A little experience soldering and it is just as quick as a T-tap, and the connection when using solder can never be doubted. I used T-taps on a POS Van once to test a new unit out, and I ended up leaving the unit in for 6 months with no problems, but I would never use them for anything other than a test.

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J Rilla

Owner/Installer

If that takes you twice as long than it does to solder, you can't be very dextrous.

No disrespect to another installer, but I just can't see that taking longer than soldering...

No offense, but you must not solder much at all, because soldering takes very little time to do when you know what you are doing.

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J Rilla

Owner/Installer

Only soldering I do is on microelectronics, as in Plastation 2 and XBOX mainboards.

You might have a better soldering iron then the others. I know those butane units work like magic compared to some wall powered units. Makes a big difference in time and joint quality.

Also how can you be so confident of 3M tape but not the t-taps? Just wondering.

Well because the 3M tape doesn't dry rot, in my experience at least...

Also, once u put that zip tie over the taped connection, the tape isn't going anywhere...Try it on a couple pieces of scrap wire, and then once it's done, try to pull the wire u tapped with out, see if u can.

Hey padawan, you said you were in new orleans. I'm looking for work, do you know anybody whose hiring installers?

Try RD Audio on the Westbank Expressway.

lets see, you must strip the wire in the car, then the wire from the unit, then you wrap, then you apply heat, making sure its warm enough not to cause a cold solder joint, then you apply the solder , it might have to cool, then you tape, and then you put on a tie strap.. gee, that sounds very fast..

in that amount of time, i would have all the ignition wires and starter, w power wire Ttapped, properly. if it takes you more than 4 seconds to tap a wire, and that would be a thick wire, than you need not tap,

good luck to all you professionals out there

eurotek, I think you've got my method confused with soldering, I didn't hear anyone say anything about zip tie over a solder connection although that would be good..

BTW, I timed myself tapping into a door lock wire yesterday, took me 55 sec to do all the stripping, poking, wrapping, taping and zip tie-ing, pretty quick in my book.

Yeah, I am not sure what you are talking about, but if you take only 4 seconds to t-tap each wire, I would go out of my way to recommend that no one go to your shop.

Soldering takes very little time for me, but it really isnt about the time, its about doing a reliable, quality job that you can take pride in. I know quite a few hacks that are just concerned about time. I am concerned about time, and soldering certainly doesnt slow me down.

Even though I am sick of talking about this, I should mention for the record that I dotn have to wait much more than 4 seconds for the solder to suck right into the connection since I use a very hot iron, and I dont wait for it to cool down before taping, and even if I did, solder only takes a few seconds to cool down. I solder all of the Ignition Accessory, and Starter wires at the same time, then I do the rest in groups depending on their location ans accessibility. ALso, I dont put a cable tie over the tape because I use 3M super 33+ tape and it doesnt need one.

By the way, I dont need luck ... I'm a professional.

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J Rilla

Owner/Installer